America's love affair with television continues

America's love affair with the TV continues. In the third quarter of 2009, cable, satellite and other video service providers added 442,000 subscribers, even amid a stubborn housing market slump. New video customers often come with home sales. The statistic, according to a report released last week by research firm Media Biz, follows a recent study that showed television viewing was at an all-time-high for the 2008-09 TV season. According to Nielsen, Americans spent an average of four hours and 49 minutes in front of the box, up about four minutes from the previous year. An entire household averaged eight hours and 21 minutes, up a few minutes as well. The biggest winners in the third quarter included Dish Network, which added subscribers at a faster clip than competitor cable and telecom video service providers, according to Media Biz. Comcast, the nation's largest cable and Internet service provider, saw its number remain basically stable as losses on its regular cable service were made up by about 500,000 new digital cable subscribers.